Gryffindor Girls, Year One
by TigressLily
Summary: Three girls in there first year(including lily!!) as different as can be, with a minor first encounter with James and (sigh) Sirius. Lupin and Peter to come; please r/r so i can write the next ch. They won't all be this long, I just couldn't stop, and i
1. Chapter One

Gryffindor Girls: Year 1, Ch I  
Don't ask me how I came up with this...please read.  
  
To the casual observer, there was nothing but the faded grey wall between platforms nine and ten. Lily, whoever, knew better; unfortunately, she didn't know exactly what else was there.  
  
"Platform...Nine and Three Quarters, honey?" A maternly, middle aged woman peered again at the ticket. "You're sure?"  
  
"I told you she made it all up," a small, wiry girl piped in maliciously. "There's no such thing as magic, really..."  
  
"Petunia, be quiet. We have more imprtant things to focus on right now," her mother admonished. Petunia scowled. Lily primped.  
  
By now there were other people with odd looking packages of trunks, cats, or owls crowded around the wall. Two families, and one lone girl, who stood out admist the crowd of muggles just as much as the orange cat perched on her shoulded. Well, it wasn't quite orange, more of a hazy blond, and she wouldn't have stood out so much if she wasn't so tall. But as was, long, unkept hair full of blonde and brown and just a tiny bit of red kept her from being normal, and green eyes that provided the unseen depths of the ocean to the imagination.  
  
"Excuse me?" The girl turned to find a smaller, slightly mousy girl behind her. "I was wondering... do you know how to get to platfrom nine and three quarters?"  
  
"No." Something forced the taller girl to give a small smile. "I was hoping maybe you knew."  
  
"No, no one in my family ever went to Hogwarts." The girl sighed. "I'm Lily, by the way. Lily Smith."  
  
"Amara Emerain. No one in my family went here either," she finished with a small, ironic sort of smile.  
  
"Oh, you're muggle born too! Thank god, I was worried I was going to be the only non wizard here." Lily smiled, an award winning prep school girl smile, but a smile that came not only from good breeding and politeness but also from a certain amount of truth.  
  
"Lily?" Some one called through the crowd. "Oh, there you are. Who's you're friend?" Lily's mother, followed by a sulky Petunia, pushed throught the crowd.  
  
"Oh, mum, this is Amara." Mrs. Smith smiled, and extended a gracious hand to the girl.  
  
"Amara... 'from the sea', right?" Mrs Smith asked. "I used to take Latin in school...my teacher's never approved though."  
Again Amara smiled the ironic half smile. "Yeah, actually. I'm from Greece, so it's a pretty accurate description."  
  
Mrs. Smith sighed dramatically. "Greece...I always wanted to go there. Not today, though. We really should figured out how to get past the barriar."  
  
"You just walk though." The group turned to see a scholarly looking man standing behind them, dressed in dark brown robes. Next to him, his daughter couldn't have been more different; she small and blonde, with a certain mischeavous light in her brown eyes. "I know, magic seems slightly forgien to you, but you get the hang of it eventually." His tone was only slightly condescending.  
  
Lily and her mother looked doubtful, but, after watching the new comers-and Amara- walk though, they in turn dissappeared past the barriar, followed unwillingly by Petunia.  
  
Their new enviornment seemed like an alternate reality to the the new arrivals. Outside, there had been dreary, sour faced, busibodied muggles in dull, effiecent clothing. Here there was a bright mix of color in the showy robes. To top it off, in contrast to the ugly trains at all the other platforns, a large, shiny train resiliant in gold shimmered ahead of them, reading HOGWARTS on the side in imprinted letters.  
  
"Nothing Mugglish about this platform," the unknown man commented with unintended superiority. "Aurgus Silkin, and this is my daughter Esmera. This will be her first year at Hogwarts," he added proudly.  
  
Mrs. Smith tried to figure out whether she had been insulted, while Esmera frowned slighlty. Outwardly, she had the appearance of a good little school girl, with pinned back hair and shiny black robes, but there was something darker, mysterious in her eyes. But in the next moment she smiled; not nessicarily a real smile but a smile nonetheless, and said,  
  
"We should probably put our stuff on the train...bye dad." Out of daughterly duty, she hugged her father. Lily followed the suit, causing her mother to become misty-eyed. Amara stood there, trying not to look put out; she wasn't jealous, really, but she felt sort of awkward.  
  
The train had a an antique look to it, with wooden, gilded comparments and chesnut seats and tables with large purple cushions. Fininding an empty compartment, Esmera plopped herself onto on one of the seats, while Amara and Lily slid into the other. Amara's cat curled up underneath the table, but not before giving a reproachining look at Esmera's large barn owl, who looked at the feline suspiciously as though deciding if it were prey our predator.  
  
" My dad is sooooo overprotective," Esmera complained, scratching Alpin's beak.  
  
"He seemed nice," Lily volunteered. Esmera gave her a slighlty disgusted look, but said nothing. Someone knocked on the compartment door, and it slid open to reveal a boy, tall and muscular with dark brown hair. He seemed slighly taken aback by finding three girls.  
  
"Um...can I sit here? All the other compartments are full... or have older people." He smiled shyly.  
  
Before they could reply. "Hey, um, Jim, Jake, whatever you said you're name was is there room over there?" Another face appeared behind the first boy's; this one had much darker features. "Hey, what do you know, there's girls!" He slid in next to Esmera, who didn't make an attempt to move further down the seat. The boy smiled charmingly, asking "Bad day? You don't look like you're in a good mood. I'm Sirius Black, in case you were wondering."  
  
"I wasn't," Esmera muttered, but Sirius chose to ignore her.  
  
"I'm James, James Potter," the first boy told them, sitting down next to Amara. He smiled, looking for all the worl like a lost puppy.   
  
"I'm Lily, this is Amara, and that's Esmera," Lily said, smiling at James winningly. "You're dad's Norman Potter, right? The Quidditch player?"  
  
"He was," James said, blushing slightly. "Now he just coachs."  
  
Esmera, for the first time, looked slighlty intrested. "Do you play? I've heard it's really hard," she said, leaning forward.   
  
James blushed again under the blonde's gaze. "A bit. I'm not very good... but it's fun."  
  
"Maybe you could teach me." Having said this, Esmera leaned back into her seat.  
  
"First year's aren't allowed brooms," Lily said, tossing her hair with a slight spitefulness. "We're supposed to focus on studying."  
  
"You sound just like my dad," Esmera told her, lifting an eyebrow. "And I already told you what a prick he is."  
  
"Well, some people are pricks, and others aren't worth mentioning," Lily said, standing upo and thrusting here face at Esmera's.  
  
"Cat fight," Sirius said, smiling.  
  
"WHO ASKED YOU?" Esmera and Lily said simultanously. They looked out eachother, a confrontation which lasted for several moments while James and Amara looked on nervously.   
  
And then they laughed, relieving the tension.  
  
"From my point of view, you both owe me." Sirius said, looking maddeningly superior. Suddenly he yelped, and looked down at his leg. "You're cat bit me!" He told Amara accusingly.  
  
Amara smiled for the first time since the two boys arrived, and scooped the cat up in her arms. "That's Jaqueline's way of telling you to let good enough be. And I would advise you to do the same."  
  
And everyone smiled. For a time, at least.  
  
Okay, that was the first chapter, they won't all be that long but i couldn't stop, so please r/r. 


	2. Chapter Two

Gryffindor Girls: Year 1, Ch II  
Continued, please r/r  
  
"How...many...more...flights?" Lily panted, dragging her trunk up the stairs. "I mean, being in Gryffindor... well, it was the only house Iwanted to be in, but honestly, it must be the farthest away!"  
  
"Love to help, really, but I've got my own issues," Sirius said from above her. Below Lily, a quiet, lanky boy was carrying his trunk with relative ease.   
  
"Here," he said gruffly, hefting his trunk up to one shoulder as Lily winced. With strenght she wouldn't have believed possible on his wiry frame, he grabbed her trunk wit his free hand and began dragging that up, leaving Lily to gape, frozen on the stairwell.  
  
"There...have to be...spells for this." Esmera appeared around the curve of the stairs. Lily ignored her.  
  
"Did you see that?" She asked, awed.  
  
"Yeah, since your trunk is conveintly gone, you can help me." Lily smiled and grabbed the other handle, and the two girls continued up the stairs.   
  
Lily pounced on the lanky boy the moment she entered the common room. "Thank you!" She exclaimed, smiling almost obtrusively. "I can't believe you can carry so much... What'd you say you're name was?"  
  
"Remus," the boy muttered, keeping his eyes downcast.  
  
Lily didn't notice his reserved attitude. "You seem older then eleven...and no offense, but I would never have quessed you were so strong!"  
  
"I'm thirteen," Remus told her, for the first time looking her in the eye. And he walked off, leaving Lily to stare after him.  
  
"You know, he's kinda cute." Esmera had come up from behind and drapped her arm around Lily in sisterly fashion. "Wonder why he's starting so late, though."  
  
Sirius, with a dramatic sigh, collapsed onto the ground. Esmera gave him a scornful look, while Lily giggled. Amara, carrying her trunk towards the stairs leading up to the rooms, stepped over him.  
  
"Doormat," she muttered so only he could here. Her cat, following her, snorted and walked across Sirius's chest. Even James had to laugh.  
  
"She has definitely got attitude," Sirius said, sitting up, half in scorn and half in admiration. "And her cat's got just as much."  
  
A small, diminutive and slightly pudgy boy was edging around them, trying to remain inconspicous while attracting attention at the same time.  
  
"Hey, fellow gryffindor," Sirius pulled himself up. "You're Peter, right?"  
  
Peter nodded, trying to keep his head down and nod at the same time. "Peter Pettigrew," he murmured. "And you're Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Smith, Esmera Silkin, and Justine Saharan." He went around the room. At the last name, everyone turned to the girl that had quietly edged up behind them. She was tall and dark skinned, with an athletic build and black eyes.  
  
"Hi," she said, smiling shyly. She sat down next to Lily, blushing as everyone watched her. When she didn't say anything more, James turned to Peter.  
  
"How'd you know who we all were?" he asked.  
  
"You all got sorted. I rembered," he muttered, eyes still focused on the floor. Esmera, bored, yawned, and glanced at Lily, who glanced at Justine.  
  
"I'm going upstairs," Esmera announced, standing up.  
  
"Thanks for the warning," Sirius commented. Esmera went towards the stairs, followed by Lily and Justine.  
  
"Oh I think I've just died and seen heaven!" Lily exclaimed, coming into the room. Four four poster beds were lined neatly in a row, topped with frilly sheets. Esmera gave her a look that conveyed a thousand words.  
  
"Perfect for studying, I suppose?" she asked, claiming one of the beds by setting her owl onto it.  
  
Lily chose to ingore the comment. "Amara, which bed is yours?" Amara had been sitting on the bed closest to the window, reading a book. At Lily's question, she turned, and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"The one I'm sitting on." There was faint sarcasm in her voice. Lily chose to ignore that, too.   
  
"Well, I'll take the one next to it," Lily announce imperiously, and dropped her trunk by it before plooping herself onto Lily's bed. "What are you reading?"  
  
This time, Amara didn't even bother to look up. "Spells to use on people who can't take a hint," she muttered.  
  
This time, Lily managed to pick up on her sarcasm. "Well... fine, I'll just go read or something." After two minutes of reading, she gave up, and began organizing her already immculate trunk.  
  
Esmera went over to sit next to Justine. "You're not from England, are you?" Esmera wasn't one to bother with small talk; she cut right to what she had been wondering.  
  
"No," Justine said shyly. "I'm from Northern Africa."  
  
"Oh." Esmera thought about this for a moment, then went back to her bed. As Justine and Lily watched, fascinated, she pulled out every single wizard beauty product imaginable and began applying them to her face, hair, and legs, paying no heed to her housemate's bewildered stares. Having finished (a half hour later) she slipped into a skimpy silk nightgown, put on a sleeping mask, and promptly fell alseep, resembling a corpse in a coffin. Justine, after writing a long letter to her family, did the same, but she lay sprawled out across the bed in such away that she resembled a corpse that had just been flung off the top of a tower. Lily eventually gave up on cleaning up an already clean trunk, and went to bed; but only after unsuccesfully pestering Amara some more. Unfortuantly, both Lily and Justine snored, and Amara, who was still trying to read, was forced to go back down stairs.  
  
The common room was dark when she entered it. Amara let out a sigh of relief; she'd been afraid the boys would still be there and she'd have just as much reading here as there. But is was kinda dark and creepy, with the moonlight casting shadow's across the room. Amara was not a coward, but the book she happened to be reading involved a certain amount of mystery, and it was with acertain amount of reluctance that she stepped into the common room.  
  
"BOO!" Sirius jumped off the stairs behind her. Amara jumped. "Scare you?" he asked, looking pleased.  
  
"No," Amara growled. Sirius grinned, and clapped his hands, sending light flooding through the room.  
  
"Yes I did. What are you doing down here anyway?" Sirius smiled, peering around to look at her.  
  
"I could ask the same of you," Amara told him.  
  
"But you haven't yet, and besides that, I asked you first," Sirius told her with purest logic.  
  
"Reading. Now what are you doing down here?" Amara sat down on one of the couches.  
  
"Do you know what it's like to have people snore in your room. Honestly, I didn't know Peter had it in him...," Sirius scowled, than quickly grinned again. "Anyhow, I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Homesick?" Amara asked, not really listening.  
  
"Yeah, actually," Sirius sat down next to her, sighing and becoming serious. "Not my parents or anything... but my friends. I mean, I always knew I was a wizard, but my parents are divorced, and my dad went off to work in America. My mom's a muggle, she loved my father, but there were problems. So I grew up pretty much like a muggle, and it's like I'm leaving all that behind."  
  
"I know how you feel," Amara said, closing her books. "I'm... I left... let's just say my family isn't exactly average, and while we knew about Hogwarts and magic... Well, I'm the first one to go here. And ever since I decided to go... they all started treating me differently."  
  
"My mom kinda flipped when I got the Hogwarts letter. But she kept insisting that I go... I don't really know why," Sirius told her, eyes glazing over as he recalled distant memories.  
  
"Yeah, well, she supported you." Amara sighed, and stood up. "I really should go to bed... see ya tommorrow."  
  
"Yeah," Sirius muttered, still reliving a different time. "Yeah."  
  
  
The was the second chapter! Please r/r!!! 


	3. Chapter Three

Gryffindor Girls Year 1 Ch III  
  
Thank you so much for reviewing my other ones! It motivated me to write this one quickly, even though I have a lot of homework tonight. So please r/r!!!!  
  
"They don't look like the friendliest bunch, now do they?" Sirius slid into the seat next to Amara, glancing over at the Slytherin table. Amara didn't respond; her eyes were baggy and slightly red due to lack of sleep.  
  
"The aren't all bad," Esmera said from across the table. "I'm, really, Tom Riddle is hot!"  
  
"Is he the seventh year that plays quidditch?" Justine asked, leaning forward eagerly. "I saw an artical on him in the Daily Prophet... he's...-"  
  
"Ok, I'm feeling slightly put out here." Sirius gave them a pathetic, puppyish look. "He's a seventh year. Get over it."  
  
"Of course we wouldn't want you to feel offended," Amara muttered, sarcasm creeping into her voice. But she didn't turn to Sirius; instead she studied her plate of food.  
  
Sirius was saved from answering by James's arrival, quickly followed by Remus's and Peter's.   
  
"Morning," Lily said cheerfully, watching James and Peter collapse onto the bench. Remus, though looking weary, sat down and immediatly concentrated on his food. There was silence.  
  
"What class do we have first?" Justine asked, breaking through the silence.  
  
"Potions, with slytherins. I heard the teacher is really hard," Lily told her.  
  
"Really?" James asked, intrested. "From who?"  
  
"Some of the older students." Lily smiled coyly; it was obvious that she was proud of her associations. "Hi, Tinika!" she exclaimed, as one of the third year's past by.  
  
"Um, ... hi." Tinika looked slightly bewildered at being accosted by Lily, and moved down to the end of the table with her friends. Lily pouted. Peter looked at her curiously, as though mentally taking notes.  
  
"Are these really only all the first years we got?" one of the older students, presumably fourth or fifth year, surveyed them. "Last year we got eleven... oh well. I guess you were the only really good ones out of the lot." She smiled. "I'm Larissa, by the way; if you ever get confused, or anything, you can come talk to me." She smiled again, and moved on. Peter and Lily looked ready to follow her.  
  
Amara looked up the ceiling, staring at it in wonder. It had turned a brilliant red, echoing the morning sky outside. She brushed her eyes unwillingly, as though imaginary tears had formed.  
  
"Red in the morning, sea folk take warning," she muttered unconsiously, without mean to speak.  
  
"What'd you say?" Sirius asked, turning to look at her.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Well, ... it's going to storm today."  
  
"Oh. Ok." Sirius turned back to his conversation on Quidditch with James.  
  
"I've never played," Sirius was telling James.  
  
"Really? But your dad's a wizard, isn't she? I mean..." James looked slightly bewildered that any wizard cound not play Quidditch.  
  
"Well... I never spent much time with other wizards," Sirius told him, shifting uncomfortable. "I always played football... you know, the american kind. And a bit of regular football. There a lot of fun."  
  
"I used to play American football!" Peter interjected. "Well, not a lot, but I was a pretty good tackler, well, some of the time." He looked slightly crestfallen, perhaps recalling bad expierences.  
  
"Good for you!" Sirius said with faked, but not unkind, enthusiasm, clapping him on the back. He glanced up at the ceiling, which was further lightening. "You know, we probably should go." He stood up, with Peter immediatly following the suit. "The rest of you coming?"  
  
Justine looked nervously at the other three girls, unsure of whether or not to go. "Yeah," she said, still wavering indesisively as she looked to see if anyone else was coming.  
  
"I guess so," Esmera said, sighing. "I'm done with my breakfast, anyhow." Gradually everyone managed to get there stuff together, and begin the long trespass to the dungeons.  
  
The Slytherins we already there when they arrived, and the Potions master, Proffessor Alberinze, was grinning at them evilly.  
  
"Potions," he began, hissing evilly, "Are delicate, beautiful things. The tiniest drop can ruin a potion, and the least potent ingredient can make it the most powerful. Many of you will never" (at this point he glared at the various Gryffindors) "Understand the true beauty the mastery of potions, and you I will not be able to teach. Only when you feel the mixture in your blood can you ever get anything out of my class."  
  
"If I were his girlfriend, I'd be jealous," Sirius whispered. Several students laughed. Alberzine fixed a beady stare on Sirius, but didn't comment.  
  
"I'm going to pair you up so you can work on the most basic part of potions: measuring," he told them. In subtle revenge, he assigned Sirius to Peter, who couldn't have correctly measured the simplest item if his life depended on it.   
  
Justine had even worse luck.  
  
Alberzine, trying to decide who would make the oddest pairs, had assigned the poor girl to a dark haired pale skinned Slytherin with a scowl on his face that grew when partners were assigned. Justine, in an attempt to be nice, had smiled weakly, but soon given up.  
  
"I know exactly what he's talking about," the Slytherin told her. Whether he was trying to be nice or just exercising Slytherin pride was uncertain. "I mean, my dad never understood anything about potions, he was more of a dark... well, he just didn't like them. But the way they fit together... it's just incredible. Have you ever used potions?" He looked as though he knew the response.  
  
In a rare show of emotion, Justine rose to the bait and tore it off the hook. "Yes, actually. I'm from northern Africa, and my family made healing potions for a living." She smiled almost sweetly.  
  
The Slytherin, far from being annoyed, actually gave a small smile of his own. "Wow... that's pretty cool. I'm Servus, by the way."  
  
"Justine." Her smile grew the barest fraction. "Did he say four units of rain, or five?"  
  
Lily and James, despite a seemingly good pairing, were not getting along well. Lily kept insisting that the rain had to be put in in minuscule drops, so 'not to upset the molten brass.' James thought this was quite ridiculous, and kept attempting to dump the whole bottle of rain into the test tube. This obviously resulted in a loud arguement, causing Alberzine to come storming over.  
  
"THIS IS THE MOST BASIC PART OF POTIONS!" He yelled at them, both of whom were now white as chalk. "It isn't that hard! There isn't anything conceptual abot it, yet. Ms. Smith, your care of this totally exceeds reasonable boundries, but honestly Mr. Potter, dumping the whole thing in like a sack of dust isn't what I was looking for. Use a bit of judgement, both of you."  
  
Lily and James both stared at him, bewildered. Alberzine gave them one last look of disgust, then returned to his work. The Slytherins stifled malicious giggles.  
  
"I,"Lily announced the minute they had left the classroom, "did not like him."  
  
"Well, the rest of us had a jolly time too," Sirius muttered, glaring at Peter. The boy had, repeatedly, spilled the ingrediants; as a result, Sirius had not been able to finish and Alberzine had smirked imperiously whenever he happened to be passing their table. "Hey, Justine, how was that Slytherin you were with... what was his name?"  
  
"Servus," Justine said shyly, blushing at bit. "He was pretty nice... though I think he might be on the self centered side."  
  
"Slytherin's aren't nessacarily evil," Lily commented, as though this was a major revaltion. Which, in fact, it was. "They're chosen because they're highly intellectual, at least, that's what a fifth year told me, and most of them end up feeling superior to everyone else."  
  
"Like Tom." Esmera smiled cunningly, like a cat about to pounce.  
  
"And Servus," Justine added quickly, feeling as though she would have been hypocritcal in her smiles if she didn't add him.  
  
"Now that we've made this wonderfully intellectual insight," Sirius said sacrastically. "Can we continue up the stairs, please?"  
  
  
That was Ch 3, please r/r and ell me what you think, it encourages me to write faster so u can have the next part soon! 


	4. Chapter Four

Gryffindor Girls, Year 1, Chapter IV  
  
Thank you so much for r/r! Oh, if you want to look at the revies for chapter 3 you will find a long detailed explantaion of how I might be a tiny bit off, but it isn't entirely impossible that tom riddle was seventh year and j/l were first years. And speaking of lily, i did mean for her to be like peter; she's going to take a little while to grow up. See, this is why reviews are important. Thank you!  
  
  
Amare sat by herself, miserably reviewing her many regrets. She could have sat with the rest of the Gryffindors; there was room at the table, but she felt like curling up and feeling sorry for herself.  
  
The Transfiguration teacher had not yet entered. There were rumors flying around the school about a new Transfiguration teacher; the last one had gone off to Australia to study. The students were so busy whispering among themselves about the whereabouts of the elusive teacher that they didn't notice a large, dainty cat creep into the room and jump onto the desk.  
  
And suddenly it was a woman on the desk.  
  
She was tall and thin, with long, braided blond hair that came nearly to her waist. She smiled slightly nervously at the class, who, in utter astonishment of her sudden appearance, had fallen utterly silent.  
  
"Transfiguration," she began, taking advantage of the temporary bewilderment. "Is the shifting of the molecules of one object to create another. There are the basic types, the transfiguring of one inanimate object to another. But if you become greatly skilled in this art, you may one day go so far as to transfigure yourself into another living creature."  
  
The class breathed a sigh of awe. But the teacher frowned sternly on the class. "This is a dangerous art, and I expect utter diligence and concentration." And them she smiled, bringing back the youth she had momentarily lost. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, but I am told you're supposed to call me Proffessor. We're going to start off with something relatively simple in the eyes of the observer, but challenging in the mental prowess of the wizard. I want each of you to take the matches you will find on the desk, and attempt to transfigure them into a pin."  
  
The students, after much scoffing at the supposed ease of this assignment, soon found the Professor's statements to be quite true. James, after glaring and scowling for a long time, with much waving of the wind, maganed to turn the match a shiny purple. Peter accidently sat on his, and the poor match broke under the pressure. Sirius, with relative ease, managed to create the 'eye' of the needle; ableit by using Lily's now point but still dull pin to do so physically. Lily was so eccstatic at finding a point at the end of her needly she poked herself with it, cause Esmera to become faint at the sight of the blood. Amara and Remus both added a shiny touch to theirs, but by the end of class, only Justine had managed a Transfigured pin; a stubby, thick pin, but one none the less.   
  
  
Herbology was much duller, compared to the chaos created by simple pins and matches.  
  
"You'd think," Sirius commented, disgusted, "that there would be slightly more intresting plants around here than speck-of-magic-weeds."  
  
"What, an insult to your vast knowledge?" Amara asked him, lifting an eyebrow. "Such mundane tasks are beneath the oh so mighty Siruis?"  
  
"Yes, actually," Sirius replied, smiling.  
  
Next to them, Remus was shredding the weeds with utter disintrest. "They're ... plants. Honestly, who cares..."  
  
His tablemate's looked at him in suprise; it was the first opinion he'd volenteered.  
  
"They're kind of ugly," Lily said, looking at the shriveled plants in disgust. "Who would want to work with them?"  
  
James gave Lily a look that echoed the one she gave the plants. "Of all the arguement's to pick 'they're ugly' isn't exactly the best one."  
  
Justine looked at Lily, as though pondering something. She opened her mouth to speak, then changed her mind, and went back to the plants. Esmera hadn't even touched them yet, allowing Peter to cut up her weeds for her.  
  
"Ms. Silkin, I believe?" Inquired a voice behind her. Professor Limb was towering over her in slight menace. "You're father, whom I unfortuanately rememder too well, never had much of an affinity for plants. At the time we were in school together, I lacked the power to order him otherwise. Now the burden passes from father to daughter, and I suggest you cut up your plants ON YOUR OWN!" His voice rose at the last note, and he hovered above her a few minutes more, glaring furiously. Esmera, after her initial shock, looked him eye for eye, until at last the Professor, in a wave of disgust, was forced to leave.  
  
"Well he was friendly," Sirius stated sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He held up the weeds to his chin in imitation of Professor Limb's scraggly beard. "'and now the burden passes from father to daughter...no affinity for plants, really, it must run in the blood-"  
  
Justine and James burst in to laughter. Even Amara smiled just the barest bit. Professor Limb was there in a huff, fixing all of them with his beady glare, but could find nothing but purely angelic faces and hands busily cutting up the roots. Dissatisfied, he moved on.  
  
"You know," James said once they were back in the Gryffindor common room, "that day wasn't altogether bad."  
  
Esmera stretched out on one of the couches, while Amara folded herself in beside her. The common room was mostly empty; all of the older students had more classes. Gradually all of the first years dumped themselves around the central fire.  
  
"Proffessor Alberzine was my favorite," Siruis told them, tossing- or chucking- a pillow at Amara. "I think if he glared any harder, his eyes would pop out."  
  
"I wonder how he would feel about mixing those into a potion,"Lily said with slight maliciousness, remembering Alberzine's harsh speech.   
  
Amara, waiting until Sirius had turned the other direction, sent the pillow spinning in his direction so it just glazed over his head, and ended up sending his hair into a state of dissarray. Sirius jumped up, feigning outrage.  
  
"My hair!" he shouted.  
  
"Don't worry," Amara told him, smiling sweetly. "There isn't much inside you're head worth protecting."  
  
"Now, if she'd aimed three feet down...," Remus volunteered, sending the girls into hysterics. James inched his legs a tiny bit closer together. Remus gave a small smile.  
  
"I can't believe we got stuck with the Slytherins for potions," Esmera muttered, scowling. "They're so... vile. Ugh."  
  
"Two words," Lily's smile grew larger. "Tom Riddle. Have you ever seen anything of the male species so finely created...-" she broke off with a sigh.  
  
"Serevus really wasn't that bad," Justine interjected in defense. "He had maybe a slight ego, but he was pretty nice."  
  
"Ok, forget the guys. Bluntly put, have you ever seen a pretty Slytherin?" Sirius asked.   
  
Several pillows hit him at once.  
  
"He means that in the best sense," James told them, while Sirius dislodged himself from the pillows. "They never smile, and they look about ready to beat up the guy they see."  
  
"Of course we're much prettier," Esmera said, primping slightly. "There's a reason the sorting hat puts certain people in Gryffindor."  
  
"I'm sure it's totally because of your beauty, Esmera," Amara told her. Esmera frowned, hearing the sarcasm in Amara's voice. "It must have been, because you have very little brains or valour." But she smiled; she'd meant it as a harmless joke.  
  
Esmera didn't take it that way. "What am I supposed to act like, Amara? My dad's perfect in absolutely every catagory imaginable, except this one. HOW ELSE am I supposed to compete? Besides, what would you know? You sit around and make vagualy sarcastic comments once in a while, whenever you condescend to grace us with you're prescence, and act so superior. Your parent must think you're ABSOLUTELY WONDERRFUL!?"  
  
Amara looked at her, speechless. Esmera spun around, and stormed up the stairs. Amara was still speechless, but a new emotion appeared. Tears.  
  
She buried her head in her arms, slowly shaking. Sirius and Justine both sat down next to her, gently rubbing her back. Finally she lifted her head.  
  
"My parents," she said, with voice of deadly calm, "could not be LESS thrilled that I decided to go here." She stared off into the distance, recalling scenes visible only to her. "All they ever wanted was for me to become a dainty little sirene, and I couldn't manage even that much."  
  
James looked at her, elightenment dawning upon him. "Mermaid?"  
  
Amara nodded, tear stained cheeks glowing red in the firelight. "Yeah. Half, at least." She reburied her head in her hands, but was no longer shaking.  
  
  
Okay, that may have been kinda weird but it wasn't totally random; i mean to reveal it later but if you look back i was hinting at something from the first chapter. Anyhow, please r/r. 


	5. Chapter Five

Gryffindor Girls, Year 1, Chapter V  
  
Wow. I was reading my other installments, and i had way too many mistakes. Oops. I'll try to stop doing that. Anyhow, i was going to abandon it, but i actually kinda like it, so heres the fifth chapter, finally.  
  
A tall, dark haired wizard, in his seventh year at Hogwarts, paced the assembled first years with growing disgust. Didn't he have enough to do without teaching flying to an annoying crew of Gryffindors and Slytherins. He wondered, offhandedly, whose brilliant idea it had been to put the two rival houses together under his tutorage. His, of all peoples.  
  
Esmera watched Tom Riddle pace the ranks of students, her lip curling slightly.   
  
"He's cute when he scowls," Lily whispered. Sirius choked and started doing a small strut whenever the seventh year's back was turned, imitating Tom's walk, as James and Peter watched on, doing all they could not to burst out laughing. Justine giggled, but punched him lightly in the stomach. Sirius feigned hurt, doubling over. Amara lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Well." Tom whirled around, facing the Gryffindor's with a small smirk forming on his face. "I see we've lost no time in trying to be the big first year at Hogwarts." He leered unpleasantly at Sirius. "Such childish pranks." He spun back around to face the entire group, robes sweeping around him.  
  
"Seeing as the last Quidditch teacher had an untimely...accident," he said, referring to the peculiar death of Master Hooch. "I will be filling in for the year as the flying master." He scowled. "I suppose we should begin. Go, fly."  
  
Several mouths gaped at him, unsure of what to do. James and Severus, with identical smirks, hopped on and began flying circles around Tom. Esmera, with a sniff of disdain, drew up her broom and hovered several feet above the ground, looking entirely board. The rest of the Slytherins, lead by a scowling boy under the name of Lucius Malfoy, began to flew a close knit circle around James, their faces smiling in unpleasant ways.  
  
Tom looked on with interest, while the remaining Gryffindors shifted uneasily. Esmera, despite herself, looked slightly nervous, and settled back on to the ground to watch as the circle flew higher.  
  
"Well, wouldn't you know it, a Gryffindor smart enough to figure out how to get his diminutive brain off the ground," Lucius taunted. Severus hung slightly outside the circle, unsure of whether to join in. James glared slightly, but refused to move.  
  
"Um...shouldn't we do something?" Lily asked, tilting her head up. "He isn't going to." She indicated Tom, with a slightly less than kindly look.  
  
"I've never been on a broom before," Sirius said sheepishly. Amara and Remus nodded.  
  
"Well, I haven't, and Esmera can't do anything other than sit on it." Lily glared at the shorter girl, who smiled sadistically. "Justine...hey, where'd she go?" The turned, for Justine, complete with broom, was indeed gone. They all looked up.  
  
Justine was swooped above the circle, unnoticed by the Slytherins. Tom frowned as he watched. With a sudden burst of speed she dived, and pulled up again carrying two pairs of glasses, one of which happened to be Lucius. He yelled in frustration and veered off.  
  
"Oh Malfoy," she taunted, hanging out of reach. "What would happen if I, I dunno, dropped them?" With a dramatic sigh, she released the glasses.  
  
"GOYLE!" Malfoy yelled, pointing. "Go get those!" Marc Goyle scratched his head and thought about it for a few moments.   
  
"Uhhh..." He started lowering himself slowly to the ground.  
  
"Never mind." Lucius scowled as the glasses hit the ground with a sickening clatter. He turned to Justine. "Much as I'd love to pound your head in with a club, I can't see anything." He gave a rather amusing glare, with his forehead pinched and his eyes squinting, before dropping swiftly to the ground. Even without glasses, he was rather good on the broom.  
  
James flew next to Justine, bumping into her slightly. The remaining Slytherins, disappointed, dropped to the ground. "Can I have my glasses back now?" He asked.  
  
Justine blushed, and handed him the second pair. "I figured if you were about to get beat up, the least I could do was spare your glasses." A wicked grin danced across her face, one James hadn't seen before.  
  
"Thanks for the concern," he muttered, smiling. "But thank you for dumping Malfoy's glasses on the ground." He looked down at the sneering, squinting Slytherin. "You know, I don't think he likes me."  
  
Justine didn't answer, but instead lowered herself to the ground. James followed.  
  
"That was pretty cool," Peter told her as her feet brushed against the ground. Justine didn't answer, but instead shyly ducked behind the rest of the Gryffindors as Tom went back to his pacing and staring.  
  
"I see the Gryffindors, with the exception of Miss Saharan-" a sharp, pointed smile "-know absolutely nothing about brooms." James looked about to protest. Tom scowled at him. "No, Mr. Potter, being able to get yourself in the air and saved from being beaten up by a girl does not constitute as knowing anything." Now Lily opened her mouth, but Tom whirled to her before she could get sound out. "Miss Smith, if you are going to give some women's activist speech, I kindly suggest you shove it." He gave her a sardonic smile.  
  
Lily was absolutely speechless. "Well don't we think the sun shines out of our ass," Sirius muttered maliciously.  
  
But Tom paid him no heed. All of a sudden he smiled, a smile that looked almost really, and continued in nearly genuine tones. "Not that women can't do just as much as men." He flashed a quick smile at Justine, and a glare at Lucius. "Because I believe Miss Saharan here just kicked all of your asses.  
  
"I think that's enough for today."  
  
The students began to leave, muttering to one another.  
  
"Can you believe..."  
  
"He's kinda..."  
  
"He's a teacher!?!" Lily was shocked and startled. She shivered. "Ew."  
  
Esmera smirked. "He seemed to like Justine." She smiled at the taller girl with false sweetness. "I must say, you're making quite a ...comradeship with the Slytherins." She emphasized the comradeship, as though to stress other meanings. "First Severus, now Tom, hmmm..."  
  
Justine blushed, and Sirius draped his arm around her. "I didn't see you doing anything," he told the blonde. Looking over Justine's head, his eye caught a swirl of brown, blonde, and red hair sweep into the row of silence-charmed cubicles.  
  
"Was that our last class?" Sirius asked, sounding distracted.  
  
Peter nodded empathetically. Sirius disengaged himself from Justine. "I'll see you guys later."  
  
"Okay. Whatever." James looked at the receding back of his friend, then at the remaining Gryffindors. "Where'd Amara go?"  
  
  
Amara walked past the various occupied cubicals, smirking as she looked through the translucent purple screens. The first contained the snoring Professor Binns, and a harried looking second year trying to shake him awake. The second held a fighting couple, which was rather amusing as Amara couldn't hear what they were saying, only watch there angry gestures.  
  
Amara slipped into the third, unoccupied one, and moved to the far corner so she was facing away from the door. She took out a small conch shell, and sent it floating into the air, without so much as touching her wand. Tiny, silver letters engraved on the rim spelled out 'Magistra.'  
  
Wavy grey letters began to float out of the shell midair. Amara lifted her voice in eerie, unemotional notes.  
  
Sirius slipped into the cubical, unnoticed by the singer. Her music drew him in, a mixture of longing and hope, and inevitable doom rose into the air as Amara sang, and yet somehow it made him feel kind of detached, as thought the music couldn't effect him.  
  
"You know why you couldn't sing sailors to their doom, right?" Sirius asked when she'd finished. Amara whirled around to glare at him.  
  
"What are you...why?" Her last word seemed a consent of defeat, but she still looked angry, and upset.  
  
"You didn't care to," Sirius told her simply. "I mean, what you sang was beautiful, but it was so... carved, almost. Not part of you, or what you were feeling."  
  
"I'm supposed to care about the people I kill?" Amara's eye's flashed dangerously. Sirius took a slight step back, and Amara sighed. "That's what they did, my sisters, I mean. They fed off other people's sorrow, and made it there own." Amara shuddered. "I didn't want to do that."  
  
"Makes sense." Sirius's face split into a smile. "I don't usually become intimate with the people I murder."  
  
Amara looked about to take offense, then smiled and through the shell at Sirius. "Alright, Mr. Black. I'll try to sing with emotion." She grinned. "Which means you get to leave." She indicated the purple screen. Sirius grinned, mischief seeping into his expression.  
  
"As you wish," he said demurely, stepping outside. Amara checked quickly to make sure Sirius wasn't coming back in. With sudden inspiration, she put the shell back in the bag, before closing her eyes and sending her voice to break the silence.  
  
Sirius grinned with a look that could be considered evil, and poked his wand through the screen. A small hole appeared, and harmony began to seep through it, catching Sirius up in it's drift. This time he nearly fell into a rapturous trance, one that made him long for home. He thought about his friends, how they used to play football, and his mother, how she would sing when she cooked, not like this, but her singing always brought back a certain familiarity. He didn't notice when a tear formed in his eye, at this point he was so far gone into a state of comfort he nearly forgot he wasn't at home. There was sorrow, but the familiar kind, and then there was the joy, of the known and the unknown...  
  
"Sirius!" Amara stepped halfway through the screen, so the purple surrounded her in a radiant glow. Sirius peered up from where he had sunk to the floor, blurred eyes making her look angelic. "I believe I told you to leave?" Amara lifted an eyebrow as Sirius, who hurriedly collected himself.  
  
"Yeah, well." Sirius grinned kind of sheepishly, turning away slightly so he could brush away the tear. "Now that you can sing sailors to their death, you aren't leaving, are you?" He lifted his eyebrows.  
  
"No." Amara almost smiled. 


	6. Chapter Six

Gyffindor Girls, Year One, Chapter VI  
  
Well, even though i only got six reviews (pout) I'm going to continue with this, cause I just had a neat idea (i think). Anyhow, please r/r. Oh, and for all those people who have a need for lily to be here, she's here.  
  
Lily sighed, and stretched out on her bed. Esmera didn't look up from where she was peering into her mirror. Lily sighed again, this time louder. Esmera glanced up.  
  
"Did you want something?" The was annoyance creeping into Esmera's voice. Lily took this as invitation to plop down next to Esmera on her bed.  
  
"Well... do you ever wish there was just one thing you could be good at, so you could prove you weren't... whoever people see you as?" Lily frowned as she thought.  
  
"What have I been saying for the past few days?" There was sarcasm in Esmera's voice, but she smiled anyhow. "Lily... my whole life, I've tried to be what my father wasn't. I choose to be who I am, and sometimes I wish I had chosen something else, but it's too late now." Lily frowned, but Esmera continued. "The point is, if you really want to be, you can do pretty much anything." She chuckled a bit. "I mean, look at me, and look at my dad." There was no pride in her voice, just the simple stating of facts.  
  
Lily smiled, almost sadly. "Thanks." Her voice came out in a whisper. Then she stood up, and became her usual self again. "Time to go to dinner," she said cheerily. Esmera snorted softly at her own private amusement. Lily threw her hair into a hasty ponytail, and turned to go out the door.  
  
"Esmera?" Lily turned back, swinging herself around the doorframe. Esmera looked up, eyebrows lifted. "It's not too late." Lily smiled and ducked out. Esmera snorted softly again, but became oddly thoughful as she braided her hair.  
  
  
The last rays of light streaked across the lake, creating a red orb in the midst of it's gloomy surroundings. Justine walked silently around the outskirts of the forbidden forest, every once and awhile stooping to pick up odd looking plants.  
  
"Well, well Miss Saharan," a nasty voice echoed through the silence behind her. "I do believe these grounds are off limits."  
  
Justine turned, slowly, to find the nasty face of Proffessor Alberzine leering down at her. "Oh...yeah... I didn't realize...-"  
  
"I'm sure," Alberzine cut her off, sneering. "Let's see, that would be ten points from Gryffindor, I believe..."  
  
"Proffessor?" Another voice came from behind Alberzine, low and slightly raspy. "We were just collecting herbs for Hair-Dying Potions, you know, for extra credit."  
  
Alberzine flashed Severus a rare smile. Justine held out her plants as proof. "Well, then...just make sure you hurry and finish up." With a slight scowl at Justine, he turned and left.  
  
"Thanks," Justine told Severus shyly, pushing the plants into a small packet. She stood up to go.  
  
"Don't thank me yet," Severus said smiling slightly as he caught up with her. "You have a hair dying potion to turn in." Justine chuckled slightly. "What were you doing, anyhow?"  
  
"Oh...nothing," Justine said, a bit too quickly. "Just sending some plants to my family."  
  
"Oh. Okay." Severus suspected there was more, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Why were you out here?" Justine retorted, casting a shy glance at him. "Though I'm glad you were."  
  
Severus blushed slightly, color coming into his pale face for the first time. "Looking for you," he said simply.   
  
"Oh. Okay." Justine was content to leave it at that.  
  
Footsteps came up in the distance, behind them. Justine turned and squinted, seeing a dark figure separate itself from the shadows of the forest. "Tom?" she muttered, breath creating a slight fog in the cool fall air. "What's he doing out there?"  
  
"Oh, hello," Tom said, coming into view. The corners of his mouth curved up into a smile, but his eyes remained dark. "Bit late to be out, isn't it?" His peircing gaze shifted from Justine to Severus, and back again.  
  
"Um...yeah." Justine felt distinctly uncomfortable as Tom regarded her with his fathomless eyes. Tom snorted softly, and moved off.  
  
"He's kinda creepy," Justine volanteered as Tom moved out of view. Severus shrugged.  
  
"Well, he doesn't hate you," he told her emotionlessly.   
  
"I kinda wished he did." Justine shook herself, trying to break the uneasiness that settled over her. "I think it's time for dinner."  
  
  
Lily sighed theatrically as she ate her green potatoes. Where they had been found, she had no clue, but they were awfully good. "What classes do we have tommorrow?"  
  
James was currently plowing in as much food as possible. "Whamph?" He swallowed. "Oh, um...Herbology and Fizzcle Defense in the morning, DADA and Astronamy in the afternoon." Amara groaned slightly at the last one, she hated being up late.  
  
"Do you mean physical defense?" Sirius asked, lifting an eyebrow.  
  
"Probably." James shrugged. "What is that, anyhow?"  
  
"Probably fighting and stuff like that." Lily wrinkled her nose. She's never been very good at Physical Education at school. Then she remembered her discussion with Esmera earlier. I can be good at it if I want to be, she told herself stubbornly.  
  
"Thinking, Lily?" Sirius asked, teasingly. "Dangerous habit, really."  
  
"Yon Cassius as a lean and hungry look," Esmera quoted dully. "He thinks too much; such men are dangerous." Lupin, who had remained quiet until now, gave a soft snort of laughter.  
  
"I thought your dad didn't like muggles," Lily commented, looking confused.  
  
"Who said Shakespeare was muggle?" Esmera gave the redhead a slightly condesending look. "Honestly, didn't all those faeries and potions tip you off?"  
  
Lily frowned, thinking again. "I guess I never really thought about it, not since I realized I was a witch."  
  
"Well, don't think," Sirius said simply. "It makes life much easier." Amara snorted.  
  
"You obviously don't," she told him, green eyes sparkling.  
  
"Amara, I'm insulted." Sirius stuck his nose up in the air, looking hurt.  
  
"Aww...poor Sirius." Amara grinned. James decided, looking at the two of them, that Amara had definitely lightened up some. Definitely for the better.  
  
  
  
"Well." Proffessor Wood paced the the students, looking very much like a muggle drill sergeant. "All of you, you expect magic to be your savior, to do everything for you." He sneered, before anyone realized what he was doing, his hand snaked out and grabbed Lily's wand. He twirled it within his hands and resumed pacing. "What happens when you don't have your wand? When you can't block a curse? When you're beign physically attacked, and you're magiacally drained?" He looked positively furious for no reason whatsoever.  
  
"I tell you!" He shouted. Peter took a step back. "You fight! You make something of those scrawny bodies of yours! You learn how to dodge curses, how to do something without magically aid!" He pocketed Lily's wand, and went back to face her. "You!" he barked. "What would you do if I were to throw a right handed punch?" He grinned slightly evilly, patting her wand.  
  
Lily frowned, trying to recall the semester she did in kick boxing. Her features tightened. Without speaking, she ducked under Wood's oncoming fist and swung around in the same motion, so her elbow stopped millimeter's in front of Wood's stomach.  
  
"You would bend over, and I could punch you in the chin," Lily told him, moving back. She looked decidingly nervous as she waited for Wood's response.  
  
"Very good," he growled, handing her back her wand. "This year, we won't do much actual fighting, but we will focus on self defense. Plus running," he added, grinning evilly. "To get you in shape. Two laps around the school, now, and then you can go." He smiled. "ACCIO WANDS!" Eight wands flew into his hand. "When you're done, you can reclaim ... these." He looked at the wand with disgust.  
  
Lily set off at a startlingly fast pace. Grumbling, the other Gryffindors turned to follow, poor Peter trudging slowly behind.  
  
James sprinted up to catch up with Lily. "That was actually pretty cool," he told her.  
  
"Leave it to a guy to think fighting's cool," Lily muttered, scowling as she concentrated on keeping her paces even over the muddy shoreline of the lake.  
  
"Well, sorry." James sprinted ahead of her.  
  
"What was that about?" Justine panted, coming up next to Lily. Lily smiled grimly.  
  
"Just insulting the male brain... you know, that thing right in between the two legs he's using to run with," Lily muttered in one breath.   
  
"I think you'd waste more energy insulting guys than you would running these two laps." Justine grinned as she watched James up ahead. "You know, Proffessor Wood sounds bitter about something."  
  
"He's crazy," Lily said simply. "There isn't much more to it than that." Justine had to admit she was right.  
  
Behind them, Esmera struggled to keep up with Sirius and Amara. "My dad never made me do any of this," she complained. "He was always sitting, and studying..." She stopped suddenly as she realized what she had just said. Amara and Sirius both turned, jogging in place as they watched enlightenment dawn on her face "... so I can be better than him at this, too!" She sounded thoroughly excited as she sprinted off.  
  
Sirius turned to Amara as they continued. "I hate jogging in the mud," he cxomplained as they reached the outskirts of the lake.  
  
Amara grinned. "So don't." With a smile, she tossed off her cloak and dove into the lake, swiming amazingly fast to the other end.  
  
Amara was waiting for Srius when he finally reached the other side, legs coated in mud from running on the shoreline. Amara was completely dry.  
  
"Not fair," Sirius told her as they continued. Amara lifted an eyebrow. "Well, I mean, okay, so maybe nothing's fair, but still...-  
  
"Sirius?" Amara glanced over at him as they ran. "Shut up and run." She quickened her pace. Sirius sighed and matched it. 


End file.
